LS2 - Matter cycles and energy flows through and ecosystems.
LS2 (9-11) -3 Students demonstrate an understanding of equilibrium in an ecosystem by …
3a defining and giving an example of equilibrium in an ecosystem.
3b describing ways in which humans can modify ecosystems and describe and predict the potential impact (e.g. human population growth; technology; destruction of habitats; agriculture; pollution; and atmospheric changes).
Example Extension(s) LS2 (Ext) - 3 Students demonstrate an understanding of equilibrium in an ecosystem by …
3bb researching and citing evidence of global warming to describe the potential impact on both the living and physical systems on Earth.
Context of Lesson:
This is the second lesson in my unit plan on Natural Resources. This lesson focuses on the Human Impact on Land Resources. As an opening to the lesson, I will have the students work individually and brainstorm the question I have put up on the board: "What things do you dispose of every day? Be specific." After individually completing the brainstorming activity, students will share their answers with the class, while I record a class list labeled, "What we dispose of" on the smart board. I will ask the students, "Where does it all go? How can we reduce the amount of solid waste we produce everyday?" and remind students that we tend to forget about our solid waste after we dispose of it in the trash. For the engagement part of the lesson, the class will watch a ten minute PBS video clip entitled "Landfill-Heath Concerns." After watching the video, I will ask students if they got any more ideas from the video, that we could add to our list on the smart board. Students will briefly take notes for about 10-15 minutes from a PowerPoint which highlights important concepts in this section of the book. As an inquiry based activity students will be separated into groups of 4, and will have to complete the Reducing Waste Committee activity. Each committee of students is given a different product that consumers buy everyday, that uses a lot of packaging, and therefore produces a lot of solid waste. The group of students will have to produce a list of suggestions to the company of the product, suggesting ways to reduce the amount of packaging for the product or perhaps using different, recyclable materials for packaging. As a closing, we will revisit our main question of the day, "How can we reduce the amount of solid waste we produce everyday?"
Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
Webbs Level 1 - Identify solid waste students produce in an average day.
Webbs Level 3 - Synthesize and formulate suggestions to a given problem. Really? What are they synthesizing? Aren't they brainstorming?
Prerequisite Knowledge
Students need to have some understanding of natural resources, and the different types (renewable and nonrenewable). These topics will have already been covered in the previous chapters.
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
I will be walking around monitoring group work. Throughout this, I will be available to help answer student's questions and guide students to come to the correct conclusion.
Discussion and guiding questions will be adjusted accordingly and as needed for individuals struggling.
Students will be able to quietly work in pairs if they are struggling answering the questions.
Enrichment: I will offer this opportunity to the entire class. The average person produces about 5 lbs. of solid waste every day. The Challenge: Have students collect their solid wastes one entire day. Anything they would normally throw in the garbage, would be collected in a plastic bag. This visually shows students, actually how much solid waste they put into the landfill everyday.
Accommodations and modifications
I will be available to work with students in groups or one on one, to help guide the student to understand the topic.
Students who are having trouble seeing the overhead/smart board, will be able to move their seats closer to see better.
Students with poor hearing and/or vision will be given preferential seating, near the front of the classroom.
Students with behavioral management problems will be seated away from students that distract him/her, and placed near the front of the classroom.
If for some reason, a student needs more time to complete an assessment, a test for example, the student can come after school.
If a student has an IEP, the modifications and accommodations will be followed as explained on the student's IEP.
Environmental factors
The classroom is organized into three rows of four tables, with 2 students at every table.
When students needs to work with a partner, the will work with the person next to them.
When students need to work in a group, they will work with the table in back of them, to form groups of four.
The Smart Board is located in the center of the front of the room. Every student can see the Smart Board where they sit in the classroom.
Materials
Smart Board/Video Projector
PBS Video Clip "Landfills-Health Concerns" Video Clip
Various products that use a lot of packaging (For example, Lunchables, Dentyne Ice Gum Packaging, Candy Packaging, Toothpaste packaging, Kool Aid Burst, Snack packs, etc.)
Text Book for reference and additional support.
Objectives:
Students will be able to identify and create a list of the solid waste they produce every day.
Students will observe the excessive amounts of packaging of everyday, household products.
Students will work together as a "committee" and formulate various ways to reduce excessive product packaging.
Students will synthesize ways in their everyday life, that they can reduce the amount of solid waste they produce.
Instruction:
Opening:
Self Directed Opening Question:
Students will individually answer in their notebooks, the question that is posted on the Smart Board: "What things do you dispose of everyday? Be specific." Students will work on this prompt quietly, while I take attendance and check the previous day's homework.
Sharing:
Students will share their answers with the class, while I record a class list labeled, "What we dispose of - Solid wastes:" on the Smart Board. I will instruct students to add to their own lists. Together, we will have brainstormed and created a list of solid waste, that we dispose of in our everyday lives.
I will tell students to save this list in their notebooks, as it will be useful for them to study from for the test.
Segue to Engagement:
I will ask then students, "Where does it all go? How can we reduce the amount of solid waste we produce everyday?" and remind students that we tend to forget about our solid waste after we dispose of it in the trash. I will write these questions on the board, as we will revisit them at the closing of the lesson.
I will write on the board, "Today we will: 1) Watch a short video clip about Landfills and take some brief PowerPoint notes. 2) Complete the Reducing Waste Committee activity. 3) Create suggestions and ways of how we can reduce the amount of solid waste we produce.
How about having students reflect on ways that solid waste might impact the earth's carrying capacity for humans?
Time estimate/allotment??
Engagement:
Activity 1 - Watch Short PBS Video Clip "Landfill-Health Concerns":
For the first part of the engagement, the class will watch a ten minute PBS video clip entitled "Landfill-Heath Concerns" (Link to the video can be found above). After watching the video, I will ask students if they got any more ideas from the video, that we could add to our list on the smart board and in their notebooks. I will ask the students, "Did anything in this video surprise or shock you?" The reason I picked this clip was because it has some eye-opening statistics and health hazards about landfills, that most of us do not think of after we throw something away.
Can you have students read an article about local recycling rates for homework?
Time estimate/allotment? (~20 minutes)
Activity 2 - Take PowerPoint Notes for 10-15 minutes:
Students will briefly take notes for about 10-15 minutes from a PowerPoint which highlights important concepts in this section of the book, section 26.2. The PowerPoint notes will serve as study material for the test at the end of the unit. The PowerPoint introduces students to new and important vocabulary and concepts such as mining for resources, forestry, urban development, solid waste, agriculture, and pesticides.
As an inquiry based activity students will be separated into groups of 4, and will have to complete the Reducing Waste Committee activity.
Each committee of students is given a different product that many consumers buy everyday, that uses a lot of packaging, and therefore produces a lot of solid waste. For example, Lunchables, Dentyne Ice Gum packaging, candy packaging, toothpaste packaging, Kool Aid Bursts, Snack Packs, etc.
Students will observe and evaluate the amount of packaging the product uses.
When I think of inquiry, I think investigation. Why not have them make careful measurements of the packaging and the product?
Weight of each
Surface area of each.
Percent biodegradeable/non biodegradable
Estimate of landfill life.
Then have them rank each item in terms of its damage to the environment. Can you compare this with another independent source?
The group of students will have to produce a list of suggestions to the company of the product, suggesting ways to reduce the amount of packaging for the product or perhaps using different, recyclable materials for packaging. The goal of the committee is to reduce the amount of solid waste the company produces. They should also have to explain, using evidence, why the packaging strategy is a problem. It would be nice if students had to read a brief summary of what manufacturers consider when designing packaging for their products. This might provide the opportunity for thought and synthesis you were looking for.
The prompt will be projected onto the Smart Board and I will pass out the various products to the groups of four students.
Prompt to be displayed on Smart Board: "You and your group have just been appointed members of the Reducing Waste Committee. As we all know, reducing the amount of solid waste that goes into our landfills is an important aspect in reducing the human impact on Earth. Your job as honorary members of the committee, is to observe and evaluate products that consumers purchase everyday, based on the amount and material of packaging they use for their product. Make a list of your observations about the packaging. Then make a list of suggestions to be sent to the company of the product, suggesting ways to reduce the amount of packaging used, or perhaps using a different recyclable packaging material. Be specific and creative with your suggestions." Too many words. You'll see. :-)
I estimate this activity to take about 30 minutes. Each group will hand in one list of their observations, evaluations, and suggestions for the company, with every student's name on it. This assessment will count the same as a lab grade and will be collected at the end of class. With my suggestions, this activity could go 50 minutes, but I'd feel better about calling it a lab. :-)
Closure:
I will the ask students to revisit the same question I asked at the beginning of the class, which is still written on the board, "How can we reduce the amount of solid waste we produce everyday?" I will also ask the students, "What can we also do, as consumers, to reduce the amount of solid waste we produce everyday?" How might solid waste affect the earth's carrying capacity?
To close this lesson, I want to review what we accomplished today, by asking the students "What did we do today? Did we complete the goals written on the board?"
I will assign the homework verbally, and write the homework on the "Homework Board"
Answer Review Questions p. 742 numbers 1-4
Refer to Section 26.2 (p. 737-742) for help
Enrichment: I will offer this opportunity to the entire class as an extra credit homework assignment. The average person produces about 5 lbs. of solid waste every day. The Challenge: Have students collect their solid wastes one entire day. Anything they would normally throw in the garbage, would be collected in a plastic bag. This visually shows students, actually how much solid waste they put into the landfill everyday. Students will have to bring in the plastic bag of solid waste to class for credit. Clear this with your custodian and CT. There may be problems with students bringing solid waste to school. The principals where I taught would not allow it for safety reasons.
Assessment:
The assessment part of this lesson is completing the Reducing Waste Committee activity. Each group will hand in one list of their observations, evaluations, and suggestions for the company, with every student's name on it. I expect to see specific and creative solutions to packaging the product in a more environmentally friendly way, that reduces the unnecessary amount of packaging that many companies use. I expect all students to participate and contribute to this group activity. I will regulate and monitor this as I walk around the room and assist groups, throughout the activity. This assessment will count the same as a lab grade and will be collected at the end of class.
State Standards (GSE's):
Life Science GSEs:LS2 - Matter cycles and energy flows through and ecosystems.
LS2 (9-11) -3
Students demonstrate an understanding of equilibrium in an ecosystem by …
3a defining and giving an example of equilibrium in an ecosystem.
3b describing ways in which humans can modify ecosystems and describe and predict the potential impact (e.g. human population growth; technology; destruction of habitats; agriculture; pollution; and atmospheric changes).
Example Extension(s)
LS2 (Ext) - 3
Students demonstrate an understanding of equilibrium in an ecosystem by …
3bb researching and citing evidence of global warming to describe the potential impact on both the living and physical systems on Earth.
Context of Lesson:
This is the second lesson in my unit plan on Natural Resources. This lesson focuses on the Human Impact on Land Resources. As an opening to the lesson, I will have the students work individually and brainstorm the question I have put up on the board: "What things do you dispose of every day? Be specific." After individually completing the brainstorming activity, students will share their answers with the class, while I record a class list labeled, "What we dispose of" on the smart board. I will ask the students, "Where does it all go? How can we reduce the amount of solid waste we produce everyday?" and remind students that we tend to forget about our solid waste after we dispose of it in the trash. For the engagement part of the lesson, the class will watch a ten minute PBS video clip entitled "Landfill-Heath Concerns." After watching the video, I will ask students if they got any more ideas from the video, that we could add to our list on the smart board. Students will briefly take notes for about 10-15 minutes from a PowerPoint which highlights important concepts in this section of the book. As an inquiry based activity students will be separated into groups of 4, and will have to complete the Reducing Waste Committee activity. Each committee of students is given a different product that consumers buy everyday, that uses a lot of packaging, and therefore produces a lot of solid waste. The group of students will have to produce a list of suggestions to the company of the product, suggesting ways to reduce the amount of packaging for the product or perhaps using different, recyclable materials for packaging. As a closing, we will revisit our main question of the day, "How can we reduce the amount of solid waste we produce everyday?"Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
Prerequisite Knowledge
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Accommodations and modifications
Environmental factors
Materials
Objectives:
Instruction:
Opening:
Engagement:
Closure:
Assessment:
The assessment part of this lesson is completing the Reducing Waste Committee activity. Each group will hand in one list of their observations, evaluations, and suggestions for the company, with every student's name on it. I expect to see specific and creative solutions to packaging the product in a more environmentally friendly way, that reduces the unnecessary amount of packaging that many companies use. I expect all students to participate and contribute to this group activity. I will regulate and monitor this as I walk around the room and assist groups, throughout the activity. This assessment will count the same as a lab grade and will be collected at the end of class.Reflections
(only done after lesson is enacted)Student Work Sample 1 – Approaching Proficiency:
Student Work Sample 2 – Proficient:
Student Work Sample 3 – Exceeds Proficiency: